Spend an Enchanting Afternoon with the RPO!

The magic of music will combine with the magic of stories as the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performs a host of fairy-tale themed selections, Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 pm at Performance Hall at Hochstein. Classic fairy tales will be brought to life as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) leads the RPO into a world of princes and princesses, enchanted forests, witches, mermaids, and more. If you and your children love sharing fairy tales, then you are sure to enjoy this magical musical event!

The concert will feature music inspired by the most captivating and beloved fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Aladdin. These classic fairy tales will be told through the musical scores of great composers such as Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Ravel. You’ll also be taken “under the sea” as the RPO performs music from the film score to Disney's The Little Mermaid. Click here or click below for a preview of Anatoli Liadov’s Baba-Yaga, based on the Russian folk tale of the same name.



With bewitching stories, beautiful music, and the unmatched excitement of a live professional orchestra, this concert will be a delightful experience for the whole family—don’t miss it!

Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the RPO!

Looking for a way to capture the spirit of Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day? Come to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 at 8:00 pm for an unforgettable evening of Irish music and dance.

Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by tenor Benjamin Brecher and dancers from Rochester’s own Boland School of Irish Dance to bring you a stirring selection of reels, jigs, and traditional Irish songs that will leave you humming—so wear your green and make your way down to Kodak Hall for this fun-filled concert!

Acclaimed tenor Benjamin Brecher has performed a wide range of repertoire with the world’s finest opera companies and symphonies, including the New York City Opera and the symphonies of Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Baltimore. Now, Brecher will take the stage at Kodak Hall, bringing you rollicking Irish tunes and moving, sentimental favorites, including Molly Malone, Toora-Loora-Loora, Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms, Danny Boy, and When Irish Eyes are Smiling. Click here to listen to Brecher perform Danny Boy, and don’t miss his live performance of this poignant and timeless classic.

This concert will also feature the high-stepping members of the Boland School of Irish Dance, directed by Barbara Boland. Well known throughout Monroe County for their lively performances, the Boland Dancers first performed onstage with the RPO in 1996 and have since been a part of many of the RPO’s Irish programs. The Boland Dancers have also performed with acclaimed Irish vocal groups The Chieftains and Solas. This year, the Boland Dancers return to Kodak Hall to bring you an exuberant display of authentic Irish jigs and reels, choreographed to traditional melodies, such as Red Butterfly.

The program also includes vibrant and expressive orchestral pieces with Irish themes, including Leroy Anderson’s Irish Suite, Charles Villiers Stanford’s Irish Rhapsody No. 6, featuring concertmaster Juliana Athayde, and Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (also know as the Londonderry Air). Don’t miss this celebration of Irish culture!

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

RPO to Capture History with Live Recording

For the first time ever, Christopher Seaman is recording live with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and you have the chance to be part of the experience. On Thursday, March 10 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Christopher will lead the RPO in a performance of Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony.

Then, on March 11 at 7:30 pm and March 13 at 2:00 pm at Kodak Hall, Christopher and the RPO will take to the stage for a performance of Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, as part of the popular Symphony 101 series. Both pieces will be recorded live in concert, and will be released on the harmonia mundi label in time for Christopher’s 70th birthday celebration in 2012. Christopher’s previous albums were recorded in studio sessions, so these upcoming concerts will mark the first time he will record with the RPO in front of a live audience. Come and show your support for Christopher and the RPO, and be a part of this historic event!

The concerts on March 10 and 12 will also feature Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Schumann’s Piano Concerto, performed by Rochester favorite Jon Nakamatsu. Nakamatsu gained worldwide attention after being named Gold Medalist of the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997. Since that time, he has appeared as a guest artist with orchestras around the world, including the RPO, and has toured throughout the United States and Europe, performing in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center. Nakamatsu has released several albums, including two with the RPO, and the RPO's Steinway piano was donated to the RPO in Jon's honor. Use this link or click below to view video of Nakamatsu in performance, and don’t miss his live performance of Schumann’s Piano Concerto.


The Symphony 101 Series concerts on March 11 and 13 will feature an equally exciting lineup of pieces. In addition to Serenade to Music, featuring 16 singers from Mercury Opera, selected by Benton Hess, the RPO will perform works by Ravel, Sibelius, Prokofiev, and Bernstein. Christopher Seaman will share interesting stories and enlightening commentary on each piece, and you’ll also be able to ask questions of your own during the live Q & A session following the performance.

Tickets for the Philharmonics Series concerts (March 10 and 12) start at $15; tickets for the Symphony 101 Series concerts (March 11 and 13) are $24, or $10 for students (Sunday only). Both can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.